Instructor: Roxy Star, aka the "Mistress of Polesque." Polesque is Star's unique fusion of pole-dance fitness and traditional burlesque, with a modern striptease edge.

Star has no formal dance background, but she says she has an innate musicality and has been involved with fitness since she was 16. She says she was unhappily working a corporate job in 2009 when she decided to try burlesque and pole fitness.

"I walked into a pole studio, and my life changed entirely. I started taking classes and became obsessed," she says. "I felt sexy. It wasn't the fitness that kept me there initially; it was the sexy. Then the fitness came, because it made fitness fun."

What is the workout? I took her Sexylesque workshop, and supplemented it with Sultry classes.

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Sexylesque is a five-week burlesque-dance workshop (with a modern striptease flair) that teaches students how to put together their own burlesque performance, from dance moves to characters to costumes to props. The class culminated with a private show Saturday.

There are many different incarnations of burlesque, but in this context, it harks back to the 1920s-style classic striptease (removing gloves, stockings, boas), frequently accompanied by humor.

Sultry classes included more dance ideas that helped me with my choreography, deep stretching, coordination and, most important, a mental conditioning that helped me train my brain to do something like this.

What's different: When Star created Polesque, she says, she couldn't find anyone else who was combining burlesque and pole.

"I have my feet in both worlds, and that's very unique," she says. "I just don't believe in being boxed in."

Unlike other vintage-focused burlesque classes, Sexylesque also offers instruction in modern striptease, which makes it a lot edgier.

Unlike standard pole classes, Star's emphasize sensuality and teach nuances and bodylines. Even her warm-up is something else. (Ahem, you wouldn't do this kind of stretching in the middle of 24-Hour Fitness.) The lights are dim and the music is loud.

In addition, Star directly confronts body image in her classes. She teaches that there are different versions of sexy; true sexy is nuance, she says. She focuses on helping students get into the right headspace -- and to shut up the mean voice in their heads. Before the first dance move in Sexylesque, she asked the students to share their fears about performing.

"Nobody wants to admit those insecurities, but they're there, they're hard and they hurt. As soon as it's out there, it's an exhale. 'I don't have to hide this anymore,' and the women around me share the same insecurities -- bonding, a camaraderie," Star says. "It's an obstacle out of the way. Now they can really do what they came there to do, and they do progress further."

The movements are less cloaked in emotion, she says. And that's where you really get in shape, she says.

"You've allowed yourself to accept that you want to do this, that it's OK to do this and that you're capable of it. From there, you go to addiction. It is fiercely addicting," Star says. "You're there for the mental, emotional and psychological joy you get out of it, and it's a direct result that the body gets in crazy good shape. And they start loving their body. And it becomes an avalanche of positivity. The better they feel about their body, the better they dance. It takes off like a wildfire."

What does it cost? Star teaches a variety of different classes with different packages at Vertical Fusion in Longmont and Tease Studio in Denver. Classes range from $12 per drop-in to $65 for a detailed private lesson.

She is currently pre-registering for February's Sexylesque workshop. To sign up, get more info or get placed in the proper level of pole class, email iloveroxystar@gmail.com.

Level: Star rates her classes an eight on a 10-point difficulty scale, and I agree. I felt like sometimes the classes hit my 10 on the mental and emotional challenge spectrum; the stigmas and that mean voice are sometimes hard to muzzle.

"It'll push you physically, but I want to make sure you get sexy in there, and sexy is different muscles and a different pace," Star says.

The classes are physically tougher than many people realize and you will get a killer workout -- but they are taught incrementally, so they are appropriate for any fitness level, Star says.

The classes tend to attract women in their 20s, professional moms and even women well into their 60s. You must be older than 18.

What to prepare: Wear exercise clothes you are comfortable in that aren't too baggy, so you can see your lines. Ideally, students should wear shorts and a tank top, to allow for more skin contact with the pole, which helps with tricks. High heels are strongly encouraged, but don't let that scare you away if you'd rather dance barefoot. I also highly recommend leg warmers so you don't bruise your knees on the floor.

It is not required, but Star always welcomes glitter, lipstick and whatever else you want to do to make yourself feel beautiful.

Bring a yoga mat and bottle of water.

I wore regular yoga pants and no shoes to my first Sultry class and I did fine, so it is OK to just come as you are.

"Sexy is nuance. It's not the big muscle-group movements that ultimately create sexy," Star says. "There are tiny, very specific muscles in your lower back that put a sensual arch in there. A certain degree of squeezing the shoulder blades together creates a feminine 'S' shape, but it's a very tiny thing."

Most new students feel sore because they're not used to using the muscles, Star says. I felt sore after every class, but in strange places, such as my calves, knee muscles, shoulders and forearms. At first, my lower back was challenged with all of the arching, but over time, my back and core flexibility dramatically improved.

"It takes a great amount of strength to hold your body in a specific way, but at the same time, it's pretty accessible to most women," Star says. "Overall, just expect a killer workout."

What I loved: These classes are different than anything I've ever done, and the impact they had on me is deeply personal and hard to explain. I learned so much about body movement, performance, storytelling on a stage and self-expression. Sharing the process of exploration and experimentation with other open-minded and vulnerable women fused new friendships, built from Day One on acceptance, kindness and honesty. This, combined with improved physical strength and respect for the female shape, felt like taking a self-esteem steroid. I did not expect to feel so changed.

As Star says, "Honestly, the reason I teach these fitness classes is it changes women, and it's a remarkable, bordering-on-phenomenal, change. ... I've never seen anything in any female setting anywhere -- ever -- that changes and bonds women the way that pole studios and burlesque do."

What I didn't like: Some of the classes began a little later and lasted longer than scheduled. This stemmed largely from the needs of the students in my class, but I think it would have helped my OCD planner self to expect the start-stop times to be a little fluid.

How I felt after the class: I noticed an improvement in my posture -- probably a combination of improved confidence, stronger postural muscles and body awareness.

-- Reported by Aimee Heckel.

Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: heckela@dailycamera.com or 303-473-1359.

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